Queensland has Australia’s biggest renewable energy pipeline – but no policy to support it

Queensland has a clear pathway to become Australia’s renewable energy powerhouse. Already, almost 8 gigawatts (GW) of generation and storage projects – valued at more than $10.7 billion – are financially committed or under construction. Beyond that, the broader pipeline now exceeds 140 GW, the largest in the nation.

To convert proposals into projects – and projects into jobs, infrastructure, greater energy security, reliability and affordability – we need pragmatic policy reform underpinned by bipartisan government support and sustained industry development.

That’s why the Queensland Renewable Energy Council has developed the Queensland Renewables Growth and Investment Strategy.

This strategy sets out how to accelerate renewable deployment, attract private capital and position Queensland as a globally competitive, diversified energy leader. It rests on three core pillars:

– Refocusing the energy system for long-term reliability and affordability;

– Partnering with regional Queensland for a coordinated, value-driven transition;

– Creating a world-class development framework to unlock the next wave of investment.

Our state’s strength lies in its diverse energy resources. As coal retires, the backbone of Queensland’s energy security will be firmed renewables – wind, solar, batteries, pumped hydro, and, where needed, backed-up by gas.

That requires sharper investment signals, streamlined approvals and faster grid connections. It means prioritising grid-scale batteries and pumped hydro, developing a plan for recycling solar panels, and embedding social licence through standardised community benefit agreements and stronger First Nations participation.

Importantly, regional Queensland is at the centre of this shift. Communities must share in the benefits through jobs, infrastructure, and pooled community funds that deliver long-term value.

The link between energy and agriculture productivity must also be strengthened – ensuring renewable energy development works alongside, not against, traditional industries.

Queensland has a proud history of innovation in renewables – from the Southern Cross windmills pumping water on farms, to bagasse powering sugar mills, to solar panels now on the rooftops of more than half our homes. Today, almost 30 per cent of our state’s electricity already comes from renewable energy.

But the next chapters are being written now. Without clear policy, stable regulation, and transparent planning frameworks, we risk stalling at the very moment we should be accelerating. We need to convert that pathway into the Queensland government’s proposed Energy Roadmap.  Investors are ready. Communities are ready. Industry is ready.

The Queensland Renewables Growth and Investment Strategy provides a roadmap with 15 practical recommendations to deliver affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. It is designed to complement the Queensland government’s forthcoming Energy Roadmap, which is expected later this year.

This is the “how” behind economically efficient emissions reduction. If we get it right, we won’t just power Queensland homes – we’ll position our state as a global energy leader, exporting not only electrons, but expertise and opportunity.

Queensland’s renewable energy story is not new. But the most important chapters are still ahead. And they will be written by how we act – and how decisively we act – right now.

Katie-Anne Mulder is chief executive officer of the Queensland Renewable Energy Council